The design of many types of footwear is often driven by conflicting considerations. As but one example, it is normally desirable for an athletic shoe to have a construction that supports and protects a wearer's foot during a particular athletic endeavor. However, “breathability” is also a desirable quality for many types of athletic shoes. Specifically, air flow from the outside to a shoe interior can help relieve the effects of heat and perspiration that typically build up around a foot during sporting activities. Unfortunately, many materials that provide good support and foot protection can block air and moisture flow. Conversely, many materials that facilitate air and moisture flow provide little support or protection to the wearer's foot.
One solution is to fabricate a shoe in which some portions are formed from supportive/protective materials and some portions are formed from breathable materials. However, this can increase the complexity of the fabrication process and increase cost. Moreover, footwear design (including athletic footwear design) is also driven by aesthetics. A complex production process developed to fabricate a complex shoe can potentially limit a manufacturer's ability to vary that shoe's design to achieve different aesthetic effects.